Hi Kern
Kern Sibbald wrote:
> =====
> Exception to the GPL:
> Linking:
> Bacula may be linked and distributed with any libraries permitted
> under the GPL, or with any non-GPLed libraries, including OpenSSL, that are
> required for its proper functioning, providing the license and hence source
> code of those non-GPLed libraries comply with the Open Source Definition as
> defined by the Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org).
> =======
The list of licences accepted by OSI as Open Source is more or less
the same as the list of licences accepted by the FSF as Free Software.
Both include quite a few licences that are not compatible with each
other (in much the same way as OpenSSL was not compatible with the GNU
GPL). By allowing people to link to all of them, potential problems
could arise.
I'd suggest a slightly more conservative approach of explicitly granting
an OpenSSL exception and - if necessary in the future - to grant other
exceptions explicitly too. That way unforeseen problems can be avoided
(like someone linking OpenSSL to GPLv2 to Apache to CDDL via Bacula, and
third party copyright holders getting annoyed).
There is a precedent for this in the language used in GNU WGET, which
does have a special exception for linking to OpenSSL. I made a version
of it below that refers to Bacula.
=====
In addition, as a special exception, the Bacula Project gives
permission to link the code of its release of Bacula with the OpenSSL
project's "OpenSSL" library (or with modified versions of it that use
the same license as the "OpenSSL" library), and distribute the linked
executables. You must obey the GNU General Public License in all
respects for all of the code used other than "OpenSSL". If you modify
this file, you may extend this exception to your version of the file,
but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete
this exception statement from your version.
=====
Note that the final two lines are intended to allow the code to be
recombined with vanilla (no exception) GPL code later. This would apply
if someone made a derived work without needing OpenSSL but needing to
include someone else's GNU GPL code.
I hope this is useful.
Regards
Shane
--
Shane Coughlan
FTF Coordinator
Free Software Foundation Europe
Office: +41435000366 ext 408 / Mobile: +41792633406
coughlan@fsfeurope.org
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